


You're Gonna Pay for This

by Ohsoverysensible



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Mass Effect 3: Citadel, Some Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-01
Updated: 2014-05-01
Packaged: 2018-01-21 09:28:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1545914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ohsoverysensible/pseuds/Ohsoverysensible
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An expansion and extension of the Citadel DLC scene between Female Shepard and Garrus.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You're Gonna Pay for This

When Commander Shepard looked into her wardrobe there were only a few things that came to mind. She didn't own an extensive amount of clothing, although she used to. When she was younger, before her life became incredibly nomadic in the Navy, Shepard had loved fashion. She wouldn't describe herself as vain or "girly", but it came out every now and then, every once in a while when she noticed someone's head turn or particularly liked her reflection. Now, she had only a few full outfits to choose from that weren't exactly flatterin; being a military girl had its downsides.

Pajamas, business, casual business, super business...

_"Nice dress."_

Shepard paused, the words ringing in her memory, her fingers seeming to be stuck on that incredibly revealing and uncharacteristic black leather dress. She'd worn one like it long ago, helping Kasumi with her risky business. She'd put this one on to do espionage recently...God, she didn't want to think about that. But as she stared at the dress, pondering it, she heard someone's voice in her head saying, just lightly, "Nice dress." It was like a purr, a rumble. The voice let the words drift out, long and sensual, and Shepard smiled to herself. She could remember very, very distinctly the look and the sound of Garrus Vakarian when he saw her in this dress. Even in the middle of fighting for their lives, he still had to comment on it. And she loved that.

They never had time to enjoy the little things about each other, about their...relationship. She'd seen Garrus in fancy dress maybe three times in the span of their friendship, and for her it was even less. They each had their moments of flirtation and tension, however, making eyes at each other over and over again over meetings and strategy sessions. Whispering back and forth to each other, much too close, in the Main Battery.

But that purring way he complimented her, even in the midst of yet another case of craziness, made Shepard's skin prickle.

"You'd better wear that dress," Ashley said, sitting on Shepard's bed and watching her sort through her clothes. She'd shown up just as a casual hang-out, unaware of the fact that Shepard had plans. Plans that were, for some reason, making Shepard feel nervous. "After all," Ashley went on, "this  _is_ sort of your first date."

Shepard didn't have to look at her to hear the smile in Ashley's voice. Shepard sighed. "I don't think I want to classify it as that," she said, still holding the dress and thinking. She started to laugh suddenly.

"What?" Ash said, the sounds of laughter bubbling in her own voice. 

Shepard turned to look at her. "We've...made jokes before," Shepard explained. "About going out and pretending we've never met."

Ashley's giggle sounded far too close to a teenage girl. "Commander! Role play?"

Shepard shook her head and looked back at the dress. "It was just a joke," she said. "I don't think-"

"No, you  _have_  to do that," Ash said, getting off the bed and coming towards the closet. She took the dress from Shepard, taking it off the hanger and holding it up high. "And you  _have_ to wear this."

Shepard crossed her arms. "And why the sudden interest?" she asked.

Ashley dropped the dress down just enough so she could look at her friend. "Because I think it's about time you get some romance in your life, Shepard. I mean think about it. How often do  _you_ get time off. Time to yourself! Everyone knows how crazy you and Garrus are for each other. Make this night worth it. If anyone could use some fun..."

"Alright, okay," Shepard said, snatching the dress from Ashley's hands. "You've made your point, LT." She gave Ashley a little glare before turning and going to the bathroom. There, she would change and do her hair and maybe, just maybe, put a little make up on. Ashley's mini-lecture was the needed push Shepard needed to do something she'd already been thinking about. 

\--

The beat in the Casino wasn't as loud and draining as Shepard was used to. Usually she could hear the roaring music just by walking outside, but the upstairs bar was a little quieter, and the rhythm of the music was a soft humming in her ears.

The dress was tight, and the moment Shepard walked up to the bar she could feel people looking at her. If they were eyeing her with want, she didn't think about it. All she could wonder was whether she looked ridiculous. Most of the other girls dancing around her were wearing things that were much more revealing, but Shepard's dress was short, and she was hyper aware of how short.

She also had her hair down. The tight bun she'd sported for a great majority of her career was finally freed and forgotten, and her black tresses hung around her ears. She'd even let Ashley give them a slight curl. It felt ridiculous, yet wonderful. Here, like this, looking as she did, Shepard was just another face in the crowd. She wasn't Commander, she was Miss.

As she waited at the bar she couldn't help but look around at the other party-goers. A few asari, humans, and a turian women were dancing on and off with each other. The tiny dance floor was rather crowded, and Shepard guessed that even if you didn't want to dance with someone, you would anyway. Try as she might Shepard couldn't stop looking the turian girl up and down. She only vaguely knew what made a turian female pretty, and she was comparing her own fleshy looks to that of the turian when she spotted her date.

Garrus looked fantastic. She was incredibly relieved to see that he was dressed up too, wearing a classy black and white suit that seemed to emphasize his bad-boy image. And she was all for that. That hard exterior made his inner goofiness all he more delicious. He looked around for her a moment before he caught her smiling at him by the bar. She sat up a little straighter as he walked calmly over, breezing past the turian woman who spun around to watch him go.

As Garrus took a seat, Shepard swallowed hard. She heard Ashley's voice in her head, and even if it did turn into just a joke and the night went on, she decided to give it a shot. After all, she did need some fun. "So. A turian on shore leave. You come here often?" Shepard asked, putting something wild and a little ditzy into her voice. She couldn't help but cast a glance at the turian woman eyeing them both down. She raised her brow a little bit, almost like a challenge, but the woman shook her head and walked away. For some reason, this made Shepard feel incredibly proud.

"Is this that uh...first date thing we talked about?" Garrus asked in an awkwardly hushed tone. She was surprised to hear that he even remembered that conversation, but it was also a relief. Shepard gave a little nod, feeling the butterflies in her stomach as well, and Garrus cleared his throat. "Got it. Yes. Yeah. Oh, I come here often." Shepard almost laughed at his flustered voice, but he soon found the mood. "Good place to blow off steam." He looked away from her for a moment and towards the turian woman, who had continued to dance further away from them. "Scenery's not bad either."

Shepard followed his gaze for a moment, feeling her heart leap to her throat. She looked back to Garrus with a strong glare, watching the side of his face as he kept his eyes off her. She knew, somewhere deep down, that he was doing this on purpose...but still.

He slowly returned to her eyes. "Though the view in front of me is even better." And he was instantly redeemed.

"Hm," Shepard said, leaning away and tilting her head. "That supposed to melt a girl's heart?"

"No," Garrus said, leaning forward as she'd leaned away. "But this voice is." Garrus made his voice low and soft, leaning in closer just to make his point. Shepard had to admit that the moment he put that husky voice into action, she was a goner. "I'm Garrus Vakarian. Codename: Archangel. All-around turian bad boy and dispenser of justice in an un-just galaxy." 

They stared at each other for a moment, as if waiting for the façade to crack...

"Also I kill Reapers on the side," he added. "And you are?"

Shepard cracked a little smirk that maybe gave too much away. She was so determined to stay in this moment, far too thrilled that Garrus even wanted to play along. "Commander Shepard," she said. "Alliance Navy."

"Hmm, Shepard huh?" Garrus purred, that voice of his definitely doing the trick. "I might've heard a few things about you."

"Oh?" Shepard asked, wishing she could force her voice to be as calm and alluring as his. "Flatter me."

Garrus's face lit up with his something-like-a-smile expression. "Word is you're smart.  _Sexy_. A wicked shot. Also, you kill Reapers on the side too."

"Uh huh," Shepard said, dead-pan. The song stopped, causing a very short silence, before a pulsing piano riff began. "And do most girls fall for that?"

Garrus shifted in his seat. "Well sure, you know...This voice and uh...and um...hm...I'm running out of banter here, Shepard."

She never, ever thought that Garrus Vakarian, sass-master, would ever run out of banter. She chuckled a tiny bit. "Make it up," she breathed. "Remember, we just met."

He looked away for a moment. "Right, I mean...Yeah, all the girls fall for it." Garrus switched back to his flirting voice like a pro, and it made Shepard break character for just a moment so she could smile nice and wide. He looked at the dance floor, leaned forward, stood swiftly and grabbed for Shepard's hand. "Let me show you," he said.

Shepard fought to stay seated, looking away from him and feeling blood rise to her cheeks. "Wh-What are you doing?" she said stiffly, holding up her hand as if that would somehow make him stop.

"It'll be fun," he purred to her, finally yanking her from her seat and pulling her stumbling out to the dance floor. With one final grab she launched forward, and Garrus expertly spun her into his chest, holding her close.

"Oh no, no-no-no-no...No!" Shepard protested, trying to keep her voice down out of fear. Her head snapped this way and that, looking everywhere for prying eyes as if already they were judging her. Her ears picked up on the music and it made her panic even more. If she couldn't dance to a simple club beat, she sure couldn't dance to what sounded like a tango!

But Garrus was leading. Somehow Shepard seemed to know exactly how to stop controlling her own actions, and let him take charge. He started to gently turn them around the dance floor, one hand on her waist guiding her, and the other clasping her hand tightly. Shepard was surprised to see how smooth he moved, seeing as though he was a soldier by trade and practice. For all the jokes he made about her dancing, she'd never seen him do any better, and yet here he was-doing the tango. Or trying to, with a horrible partner like Shepard.

"Been taking lessons on the side," he said into her ear as they cleared a space on the dance floor.

"You're gonna pay for this later," Shepard warned, glaring at him before feeling the need to watch her feet. But they weren't stumbling. She hadn't tripped yet, even in this dress, even in  _heels_.

Garrus spun them both around so quickly that the wind ruffled Shepard's hair. He took her hand and gripped it strong, curling her out from him before spinning her back in. She fumbled slightly as he caught her, giving her a bright eyed, confident look. "Promises promises," he breathed, and it sent a very unwilling shiver up Shepard's spine.

It was strange to be dancing like this. She knew it was strange, and there were so many reasons why. They had too much they should be doing, too many missions up in the air for something like this to be slowly growing on Shepard. She hated dancing, and yet here she was, and somehow she was muscling her way past her fear and awkwardness and finding strength. The simple fact that Garrus seemed to be enjoying himself, outside of the war room and far past his sniper rifle, made Shepard feel wonderfully important. A human and a turian sharing the dance floor during a time of war...

Slowly Shepard found the rhythm, letting Garrus lead all the same but taking it upon herself to twist her hips or cross her ankles like a pro. She wasn't sure if she was secretly talented, or if Garrus was just an incredible leader, but she didn't really care. People were watching, and they were spreading out all over the dance floor to give the couple room, but Shepard only had eyes for Garrus. He gave her a little pull closer, and a flare of bravery found Shepard lifting her leg to wrap it around Garrus's waist for a moment. A few people in the budding crowd gasped, and the blush on Shepard's cheeks turned from nerves to passion.

Garrus pulled back, still holding her close, and her hips pressed tight against his own. She could see it in his eyes that this was perfection, and they shared a rare look of complete and utter desire.

More guests of the casino started to stop their own revelry and look on the dancing pair as if it were a show. Shepard felt that maybe it was, and maybe they were making a spectacle of themselves, but she was far past caring. Garrus was too good at this, and she was having too much fun to even remember any of her past doubts or concerns. She was so very glad that she'd worn this dress.

Garrus had her reeling, practicing fancy footwork and swaying her hips as if she danced all the time. The crowd around them was growing, but all the while Shepard and Garrus kept their eyes locked on each other's. It was hard to look away from him now, even having been so unsure before, and she could feel the heat rising in her stomach; a spreading warmth that could have come from alcohol, but absolutely didn't.

Shepard let her legs spin this way and that, pointing her toes and watching in awe as Garrus moved about easily to accommodate her risks. She gave a little chuckle as she tucked one of her legs between his artfully, bringing it forward and back and keeping close to his chest.

"Now you're getting it," he told her, turning them around again and preparing her for another spin.

He moved her around so easily that it was almost hard to believe this was the same Garrus who worked for C-Sec. The same Garrus who always made wise cracks no matter the situation, or devoted himself to his work to such an incredible degree that it was hard to talk to him sometimes. Yet here he was, moving her this way and that, and spinning her around. Shepard smiled and chuckled again as Garrus spun her out, letting herself turn as many times as she could before getting dizzy.

With the remains of that smile, Shepard came face to face with James out of nowhere. Her eyes went wide and she realized only then that she was out of breath. James crossed his arms over his chest and gave her quite the smile. "Mmm _mmm_!" he cooed, and Shepard felt herself blushing like any normal girl. The crowd laughed as Garrus grabbed her arm and pulled her back to him.

"Hey now," he whispered, launching her back into their dance.

She pulled as close to him as she could get. "Consider it pay back," she said, and he laughed gently in her ear.

It felt like she could do this forever. Moving around the floor with Garrus in her arms...what war? Everything was spinning and she hadn't even had a drink. She was dizzy with a kind of pleasure she hadn't felt in a long time, and she knew Garrus felt the same. It was easy to see how much he loved this, how much he loved _her_. There was such a sparkle in his eyes. Shepard could always find his emotions plainly there, no matter how well he tried to hide them in every other way. All she wanted to do was move with him, dance with him, stay as close to his chest as she could...

"Big finish time," Garrus whispered as he spun her quick. "Ready?"

All she could do was smile, and he seemed to smile back, drawing her into one arm before tilting her down. She kept her eyes locked to his, too afraid to look down or around as she felt her centre of balance being shifted. With his arm tight on her back, Shepard felt safe, and as he dipped her she let her head fall back, exhausted but euphoric. Who knew she could every like dancing? She lifted her leg once more and rested it tight on his hip as he lowered her further and further. The song ended with a flare, and so did they, and the people around them started to clap.

Slightly out of breath, Garrus leaned in close to her tilted head. "So tell me...think a girl would fall for that?"

Shepard exhaled long and strong. "Oh. Hell. Yes." Garrus gave a little breathy laugh and slowly lifted her up into his arms. "I see you've been putting that reach and flexibility to good use."

"You know it," Garrus said. "And it gets even better when you try it in bed."

Shepard's entire body felt instantly like mush. They stood there for probably far too long, breathing hard and looking at each other. Finally Garrus cleared his throat lightly. "Your leg is still around my waist."

She came back to herself instantly, dropping her leg and standing up straight. She pulled the hem of her skirt down and tried to flatten it out a bit. She gave a nervous giggle. "Didn't even realize," she mumbled. The people who had been eagerly watching them had drifted away once more, either going back to their own dance or getting a drink. They were suddenly alone in the crowd once more, and the adrenaline was leaving Shepard's body.

Garrus brought his hand up to brush her chin, making her look up at him again. "Seems someone is a little...flustered."

She gave a crooked grin. "No fair," Shepard said. "I thought I was supposed to make _you_ flustered." 

"I get a win every now and then," Garrus said, putting his hands on her waist and looking her up and down.

She reached up and put her arms around his neck. "Well, how's a girl supposed to protect herself against moves like that? And a voice like that? My turian bad boy."

Garrus chuckled, dark and deep, but then he shook his head. "Are we still doing the...first date thing?"

"Not a chance," Shepard said. "I'm too in love with you to pretend anymore." Before Garrus could try and force something out of his mouth, Shepard stood up tall and kissed him as hard as she dared. Garrus didn't move his own mouth, but the pressure she felt on her hips let her know that he was just as into the moment as she was.

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
